Golden Snitches and Broomsticks
by Skyflapple
Summary: Round 5 Entry for Season 4 of the QLFC. Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione have a game of Quidditch at the Burrow.


This is my entry for Season 4 Round 5 of the QLFC. I play keeper for the Caerphilly Catapults. My prompt this round was the Burrow.

* * *

"Quidditch, Harry, Ginny?" Ron's voice floated through the living room of the Burrow. It was a particularly warm summer's day and Ginny Weasley was relaxing on the sofa, watching Harry polish his Firebolt.

She groaned and said, lethargically, "Sorry, Ron. I seem to have temporarily lost the ability to move."

Ron's face appeared over the back of the sofa and moved his hand into view, displaying the jug of water that he was holding. Ginny gasped and rolled onto the floor before Ron could soak her. "Fine! I'm up! Hermione, fancy a game of Quidditch?"

Hermione looked up from where she was sitting by the hearth and replied, "Mmm... No thanks, Ginny." She returned her attention to her book.

Harry, who had gotten up , snatched it out of her hands and said, "Hermione, if you don't play, we won't have enough people! Please join us?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, before answering, "Well, since you asked so nicely, I'll play with you–aargh!" She yelped as Ginny tackled her to the ground, cackling with delight.

"Yes! Yes! This'll be great!" Ginny cried happily, before yelling, "Race you to the orchard!" and darting out the back door.

* * *

"So, Ron and I will be on one side, and Harry and Hermione will be on the other. Are we agreed?" Ginny looked around at the others and, after receiving nods of confirmation, continued, "Okay, let's split up to talk about tactics."

Harry and Hermione took their broomsticks (Hermione had borrowed Charlie's old one from the broomshed) and retreated to the shade of the trees at the edge of the orchard to plan, leaving Ron and Ginny alone to work out their strategy.

"So, I think we should split the positions. One of us could play Chaser and Seeker, and one of us could play Keeper and Beater." Ron suggested."Which positions do you want to play?"

Ginny replied immediately. "Seeker and Chaser!" Ron looked relieved, probably because he wasn't very good at those positions.

"Hey, Ron, Ginny, you ready yet?" Harry shouted across the orchard. The pair turned to him and saw that he and Hermione were standing in the centre of the designated pitch. Ginny jogged over to them, Ron following closely behind

Hermione, who was also acting as referee, released the Snitch. Then she picked up the Quaffle, and at her signal, they all mounted their brooms.

"Are we all ready? Three! Two! One! Go!" She threw the ball to Harry and Ginny, who wrestled in midair for it. Harry eventually gave a sharp tug, and grabbed it for himself before speeding off down the pitch.

Ginny cursed silently, and turned her attentions to searching for the Snitch, trusting Ron to stop Harry from scoring. She caught sight of a flash of gold, hovering around Hermione's left goalpost but, before she could get to it, she saw Harry soar past her, Quaffle in hand.

"Hey, Harry! Watch your back next time!" she called, before swooping in under him, causing him to drop the Quaffle. There wasn't any need for her to end the game too early, after all. She laughed and caught the Quaffle, then zoomed towards Hermione's goalposts at top speed, catching her off-guard. In a single move, Ginny chucked the ball through the right hoop with ease.

After scoring, Ginny turned and surveyed the pitch. Hermione was circling, albeit uneasily, in front of her hoops and Ron was fist-pumping the air. Harry was hurtling towards the ground rapidly, but Ginny could tell he was trying out the Wronski Feint–they'd just seen Viktor Krum do the same thing during the World Cup. She ignored him and continued searching for the Snitch as Ron cheered appreciatively when Harry pulled sharply out of his dive.

In the next half-hour or so, Harry and Ginny each scored ten more goals apiece, and there was still no sign of the Snitch.

"Maybe it got bored and flew out over the village," Ron called halfheartedly.

"Nah, I reckon it's just hiding," Ginny replied. "I'll keep looking."

Ron nodded, and flew out to intercept Harry. Suddenly Ginny caught a glimpse of gold out of the corner of her eye. She reeled around and flew towards it like lightning, then pulled into a steep dive and raced along less than five feet from the ground.

Ginny spent the next few minutes copying the Snitch's every move. When it rose, she rose. When it turned, she turned. When it dived, she dived, until eventually, she caught up with the little golden ball.

There was a sudden blur as Harry shot past her, reaching out for the Snitch–

"AAAARGH!"

In that moment, Harry turned his head and slowed down, allowing Ginny to reach her hand around the ball. She spun, victorious, and shouted something that was, admittedly, rather profane at Harry–but then she saw the reason he had stopped following her. Hermione was on the ground, while her broom hovered above her.

"Hermione!" Ginny gasped. She swore loudly and sped towards her as Ron gave a yell, too. "Merlin's beard! Are you alright?"

"Hermione!" Ron shouted as he flew towards them. "Are you okay?"

Ginny landed and hurried towards her.. Thankfully, Hermione seemed unhurt. She sat up, nodded, and called, "I'm okay! I was watching you and Harry and I lost my balance. Great catch, by the way!"

Ginny smiled, but was interrupted by a loud shout from the other side of the trees.

"GINEVRA WEASLEY! JUST WHAT WAS THAT FOUL LANGUAGE I HEARD?!"

Ginny groaned and turned to see her mother marching towards her, brandishing a kitchen towel.

"Sorry, Mum, it's just–well, see,Hermione fell–and I wasn't thinking clearly! Honestly, I–I didn't mean anything by it!" She stammered, desperately. Molly Weasley looked furious, and Ginny really didn't want to face her wrath.

"Inside! Now! I want to have a word." Molly ordered. Ginny gulped, and turned to make a face at the others before trudging miserably to the house.


End file.
